What You Need to Know About Working with a New Boss in the Same Job
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At some point in your career it is likely that you will undergo a change in leadership while remaining in your same role. It can be difficult navigating the unique challenges that come about in this type of situation.
When you get a new boss but are still performing the same job as before there are several steps to take to ensure a smooth transition.
Exercise patience
Keep in mind that although the person is your superior, they are still starting a new position and will require a period of adjustment. Managers need time to work out all the little details that come with entering a new organization (or different part of the same company), taking ownership of a department and its projects, and especially, gaining a new team.
Give them some time to figure things out before you make judgements about their management style or leadership practices.
Remember that there is a learning curve and recall how you felt when first starting out in your role.
Be understanding, as they will likely make some initial mistakes and take longer to act than your previous boss.
You may feel that you have a better grasp on things and are more of an expert than your new manager is, which can be frustrating.
The best strategy at first is to continue operating as you did before, and determine if this will align with your new manager’s goals.
Build the relationship
Any good manager is going to prioritize getting to know the team and establishing good relationships with all direct reports.
However, you shouldn’t leave all of the groundwork solely up to your boss!
Take the initiative to ask them some questions and make yourself more available to interact with them.
Offer to help them get acclimated or take care of minor tasks.
Learn what they like and how they operate in the workplace.
Share your insights and ideas with them.
Hopefully, your new manager will schedule some one-on-one meetings with you and your co-workers within the first two weeks of joining. Use those meetings as an opportunity to open up and connect.
It is important that you don’t allow preconceived ideas to guide your expectations of your new boss. Perhaps you had a great relationship with your former manager and are sad to lose them. Or maybe you didn’t have the best connection with your old boss and have high hopes for a better relationship with the new person. Whatever the case, comparing your new boss to someone else only creates a bias from the start and is not fair to them.
Inform them
As someone who is coming in from the outside, your new boss will have a lot of catching up to do.
This is where you can be most useful and have a chance at impressing them from the start. Help your boss understand the mechanics of what goes on in your team by offering to answer their questions and explain current processes.
If you see that your boss is having a hard time wrapping their head around something or there is a knowledge gap, jump in and assist.
Managers are not always technical (their job focuses on people), so they may need a break down of the specifics.
Let them know how things were done previously. Talk about your duties and how you get things done.
Be careful not to be too attached to “how things were before”. A new manager will probably come in with their own experience and ways of doing things. You can always talk about what has worked so far, but be ready to try things their way too.
Be open to change
One of the hardest parts of getting a new boss is accepting the changes that inevitably come with them. Especially if you have the same job as before and they are the newcomer, it may be hard to see a reason to do things any differently.
Be flexible and receive input from your boss with an open mind.
You should be willing to try new things and take their suggestions to heart.
Managers have their own style and are constantly trying to improve and iterate on processes.
If it turns out something they ask leads to less efficiency or causes problems, there is always the option to discuss this with them and work out a solution.
Getting a new boss can be stressful and cause uncertainty for you and those you work with. However, with an optimistic attitude and willingness to adapt, you can maintain your flow at work and impress your new boss. Remember to cut them some slack and work hard to create a strong and lasting connection with them.
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